


The Case of Kageyama Tobio and the Mysterious Heartburn

by emmykay



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Declarations Of Love, M/M, shoujo elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-02 21:50:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5264945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmykay/pseuds/emmykay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata was worried.  Angry, intensely focused, nothing-but-volleyball-on-the-brain Kageyama seemed not to be himself.  And Hinata hoped that Sugawara would be able to figure it out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Case of Kageyama Tobio and the Mysterious Heartburn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TDRKBKGO](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TDRKBKGO/gifts).



> I hope you like the fic.

Hinata Shoyo was a little bit worried. It seemed to him that recently, something was going on with his teammate and rival (he could not quite bring himself to say 'friend' although he was pretty certain they were - at least, he thought they were on the same level even if the other party didn't), Kageyama Tobio. Angry, intensely focused, nothing-but-volleyball-on-the-brain Kageyama seemed not to be himself, somehow.

It was more like Kageyama was distracted. Spacey in a way that didn't seem like the Kageyama of even a few months ago. Something was up. But what was it? Hinata cared, not only about winning, but also about Kageyama. (And everyone else on the team. Hinata loved being on the team.) 

Asking Kageyama directly was completely out of the question. Hinata was pretty certain he would get an irritated reply of "Dumbass Hinata," which, frankly, might be a relief. A sign of normalcy. Besides, Hinata wasn't quite ready to ask. He wanted a better grip of his own feelings that something was off about Kageyama recently. Something that would either confirm or make light of this nagging sense of wrongness.

He wanted to ask somebody about it, somebody who was better at this sort of thing than he was. He'd have asked Yachi about it, but there was a few big elements involved. First, she hadn't known Kageyama as long as he had. Second, she was scared of Kageyama. (Hinata could totally relate.) Third, she seemed really busy with Shimizu doing whatever it was that managers do together.

He wasn't sure who else to talk to about it. Nishinoya was good, but not exactly the person Kageyama would bring his secret feelings to. (Hinata almost snickered at the thought.) Same with Azumane - for different, almost opposite reasons. He didn't know Ennoshita well enough. Yamaguchi might be okay, but talking to Yamaguchi meant talking to Tsukishima - Hinata hauled himself up before he even went in that direction. He did _not_ want to talk about this with Tsukishima.

Coach Ukai and Takeda Sensei were adults and seemed like they might have answers. However, it felt too close to tattling to bring it up to them. Anyway, Coach and Sensei had a lot to think about already and Hinata didn't want to bother them. Besides, Sensei was so sensitive. 

That left Tanaka, the captain, and Sugawara. 

During a quiet moment before practice, he brought up the question to Tanaka. Who frowned while thinking out loud. "Kagayama seems the same on the court. Does he still talk to you?"

"For sure, for sure. I mean, he still calls me an idiot and a piece of crap. I think it's something else."

Raising a hand to his chin, Tanaka said, "You're in his class. Is it something going on there?"

"I mean, we're still doing kind of bad. A bit better. Passing, since Yachi and Sugawara-san helped us study. But not the same." Hinata thought for a bit longer.

"Why aren't you warming up?" The captain loomed behind them.

Tanaka startled, and then brightened at Sawamura's stern mien. "Captain, Hinata has a problem."

The captain almost smiled. "Tanaka. You can't go blaming Hinata -"

"No, no, I mean, Hinata thinks something is wrong with Kageyama. Have you noticed anything?"

The question brought about an immediate reaction. Sawamura turned probing eyes toward Hinata. "Why? Did Kageyama do something? To you? Or another person? Or the vice-principal?"

"No, no." Hinata flailed, helpless under the captain's dark gaze. "He's just acting, kinda, kinda not himself."

"Ah." Sawamura frowned. "What do you mean? We finally got him to pass modern lit and English, so it's not school."

"No, no, not school. Like, I don't know. Something 'eehhhh'," Hinata made a gesture and pointed to his gut, as if in mild pain. "But like, all the time." He paused to think. "Or maybe 'ooooooohhhhhhh.'" He put a fist over his chest. "Like heartburn, maybe?"

Tanaka's eyes widened. "Heartburn?!"

Hinata said, "Only it's not, because he's still eating a lot. He just looks like it's heartburn." Reflecting, he added, "Maybe it's all that milk that's finally catching up with him."

Sawamura blinked. Then he gave a vague smile. "You know - I'm not the expert on this kind of thing - "

"But captain, I don't understand what the thing even is, it's just all 'whoaaaaa' and he's all 'bzzzzzz'- "

"Good afternoon!" Sugawara greeted them as he walked into the gym.

"Suga!" Sawamura called, looking relieved at the sight of the vice-captain. "Thank goodness you're here!"

"What's wrong?" Sugawara asked, hurrying toward the small group.

"Kageyama," Tanaka said, succinct. 

"Where is he?" Sugawara asked, looking around, as if the younger player would materialise on the wooden floorboards.

"The teacher asked him to stay late to help with a few things," Hinata supplied.

"Oh," Sugawara nodded. "What's the problem, then?"

Sawamura gave Sugawara a peculiar grin. "Heartburn, Hinata says."

"Heart -? " Sugawara began.

"Burn," Tanaka finished.

"Yeah," Hinata nodded. "Like," and he thumped his breastbone. "Right here. He looks like it just hurts a lot."

Sawamura nudged Sugawara's side with an elbow. "The usual symptom of heartache."

"Oh! Heartache! That's a good word for it!" Hinata's eyes rounded.

A pale pink flush began to spread over Sugawara's cheeks. "Heartache? Well, I'm sure it will be fixed with time. Most things are."

"Sugawara-san, could you talk to him?" Hinata asked.

"Me?" Sugawara asked. "I think the captain - "

"Oh, no," Sawamura said. "You can do one of those setter to setter talks. Like you've given him from time to time."

"One of those - how did you know?" Sugawara asked.

"It's obvious," Sawamura said. "You seem to take special care of him. He might tell you something he can't tell someone else."

"I can't believe you," Sugawara accused. "You can't do this to me."

"It's for the good of the team. Besides, I've got an appointment after practice."

"Is it Michimiya?" Sugawara asked.

Sawamura gave an embarrassed nod. "How did you know?"

"I saw the two of you talking in the hall today. And what do you mean by appointment?" Sugawara asked, clearly rhetorically. "After being in junior and most of senior high school with Michimiya, you suddenly have an 'appointment' with her?"

"Some things take time to develop," Sawamura said, uncharacteristically quiet. "And out of the rest of us, I think you would handle this best, Suga."

Sugawara resisted. "At this time? We're going to graduate soon, Daichi. Why would he want to talk to me now? He would be happier, better off, I think - "

"Would you do it?" Hinata asked. "Kageyama really listens to you, Sugawara-san."

Sugawara said, "I'm not sure it should be me. He's been a little, distant, recently. Maybe somebody else."

"It's true that he hasn't walked home with you recently," Hinata considered. 

"I don't know anybody else would work." Tanaka's mouth turned downward into a deep frown. "He learned your signs awful fast, for being kind of book stupid."

"Like ZOOM fast." His voice gathering speed and volume, Hinata said, "He's really polite and thoughtful to you, and he passed English because of some of the help you gave him, and I really, really think he'd give up starting for you."

"Wow," said Tanaka, looking convinced. "I wouldn't give up starting for anybody."

"I don't think it's me. Maybe he's just thinking about earning his place on the team," Sugawara offered.

"PLEASE?" Hinata begged. "I think something's wrong with him."

"For the good of the team," Sawamura said.

Tanaka urged, "Giving up starting is a real sign of sickness. You should talk to Kageyama, all right."

"Who should talk to me about what?" Kageyama called across the volleyball court as he took his usual mile-eating strides toward the little group.

"Sugawara-san is going to talk to you about something," Hinata said, turning pleading eyes toward the senior.

"Sugawara-san!" Kageyama came to a dead stop, staring at Sugawara intently, his usual scowl wiped clean.

"Yes, well, Kageyama," Sugawara began. He paused, looking around at the overly-interested expressions around them, and gestured to the exterior of the gym. "Maybe we should do this outside."

Kageyama looked painfully nervous as they walked away. Hinata couldn't remember seeing Kageyama with that kind of expression. Not before either of the Aoba Johsai games, not before any of their exams, not even when Tanaka's sister, Saeko, was driving them around like she was on a personal mission to take them directly to hell.

"C'mon," Sawamura said, grabbing one of the stands a referee would normally use. "Help me." They moved the stand over to the grate-covered window. Then they crowded around the small window, Sawamura shoving the small vertical sash over to the side. The frosted glass gave enough, if Hinata craned his neck at the right angle, to reveal Sugawara and Kageyama standing at the corner of the gym, half in the building's shadow. "Shh."

"I didn't know the window opened like that," Tanaka breathed.

"Captain - " Hinata said.

 _"Shh!"_ Sawamura clapped his hand over Hinata's mouth. 

"Oi!" Nishinoya yelled from across the gym, Azumane close behind. "What're you guys do- !"

"SH!!" Tanaka gestured frantically to their positions against the window.

Sawamura muttered, "Suga's gonna kill me if he hears us listening."

Hinata stilled, painfully aware of the tightness of fit on the little stand, Nishinoya hustling to wiggle in between him and Sawamura. Tanaka was behind him, elbow digging into his back as they leaned forward. Azumane pressed in from the other side, his beard at the edges of Hinata's view. From his perspective, he could see the sides of Kageyama's and Sugawara's faces and catch most of their words.

"Kageyama," Sugawara said, his voice gentle. "Listen, Kageyama, Hinata's worried about you - "

"That Hinata," Kageyama muttered, his face flaming. "It's none of his business."

Sugawara smiled, and it was one of those smiles that actively hurt Hinata to see. It was really beautiful, and kind of sad. " - and he thinks we can talk about it. I want to talk to you about it. Are you okay?"

Kageyama looked down at the ground, digging the point of his foot into the bare dirt. "Yeah."

"This isn't about your ability to play - I know nothing would ever get in the way of that."

"It's not about that." Kageyama looked stubborn.

"I know it's none of my business, and you don't have to tell me anything. But. If there's ever anything you want to tell me, it's okay, I'm happy to listen. I just wanted you to know that."

"Okay."

There was a long pause.

"Okay," Sugawara nodded. "Well, some things are better left unsaid, right? Anyway, it's time to go back to practice."

"No! I mean," Kageyama flushed to the roots of his hair. "Yes. I have something I want to say." He bowed deeply. The handful of centimeters difference in their heights was emphasized as he stood up and took a step forward, hungry eyes locked onto his target. "Sugawara-san," Kageyama said, his voice low.

For sure Hinata had never seen _that_ look from Kageyama before. At least, not towards an actual person. Maybe towards a volleyball.

Sugawara looked nervous, pale. 

"I've never seen Suga look like that," muttered Sawamura.

Sugawara tried to smile, but failed. He took a breath, tried smiling again. "I hope it wasn't anything I did, anything that I didn't know I did. To push you away. It's the last thing I would have wanted."

"NO! It's not you! You didn't do anything!" Kageyama scowled. "How do you do that?"

"What?" 

"How do you do that?" Kageyama seemed to be gritting his teeth.

"I - what are you talking about?" 

"I want to know how you do that - looking like you care and feeling responsible for everyone! About Azumane and Tanaka and the captain, Nishinoya, Ennoshita, everybody, even Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. You even worry about that dumbass Hinata - when he's not even that great a player. You care so much, and have everybody care so much about you and your feelings and I - I - I want to be a part of that."

"You are," Sugawara said, gently. 

"No, not like that. Not like you worry about the team." Kageyama made a quick, harsh gesture with his hand. "I tried so hard to not care, to be okay with you treating me like everybody else, but it's not okay. I want to be different. Special to you. I want to be a special part of your worry, your feelings."

Behind him, Hinata heard Tanaka whisper, "Holy shit." 

There was a flash of light in Sugawara's face. "You _are_. Kageyama, you absolutely are." Something was softly fading in Sugawara's smile. "It's just that I understand, this could be nothing more than admiration of an older, more experienced person. It happens to lots of people."

Hinata heard Azumane groan in sadness. 

"It's absolutely not that! I know the difference between admiration of a senior and wanting someone!"

Sugawara stilled. Hinata could see the very controlled breath he took. Even so, the hand he raised to the back of his neck shook. "It doesn't matter, anyway, my opinion. I'm nothing special. Not like you. I don't - wouldn't - deserve you. I'm a mediocre player and mediocre person with a fearful heart. You'll soon outgrow me." 

The response from Kageyama was swift. "You are not! The way I feel about you - I could never change that! Sugawara-san, I like you. Like like you. You're so good and smart and graceful and you know so much and - and your heart is so big - you're beautiful, and I don't know how anybody could outgrow what I feel for you. I made up my mind." Kageyama dropped to his knees on the ground. "Please, accept me. If you don't want this, don't want me - I'll never talk about it again, but I needed to say something. I couldn't let it go any longer."

Nishinoya gasped, ragged and uneven. Hinata could relate. His chest was hurting from forgetting to breathe.

"Kageyama. Please. Get up." For it being the middle of summer with the accompanying shrill chorus of cicadas, something in Sugawara's face reminded Hinata of the hint of spring buds at the edges of the trees all around the campus grounds, after a freak cold snap had damaged the blooms before they could begin to blossom. "Before you say anything, please remember, I'm a third year - "

"I don't deserve a third-year, I'm a stupid first-year, dumber than a box of rocks and I know I'm a little intense - ," Kageyama interrupted. 

"A _little_ intense?" muttered Sawamura, incredulous.

"-and I'm really awkward and I don't know how to hold back," Kageyama continued.

"No, that's not it at all," Sugawara said. "When you play, I see a marvel made human. You're a genius player."

Kageyama tried to scoff. "Yeah, and so what?"

"Listen to me, I see you. I see the work that goes into your play. I see you, the person who tries hard, who isn't afraid of work, who reaches for perfection, who seeks approval and always wants to do better. A person who listens to others, who is always thinking. The person who has changed so much for the better in the time I've known you. I see so much potential in you. So much passion. How could anyone not want that?" 

Sugawara's smile, warm and generous, made Hinata see exactly what Kageyama had been seeing for, what was it, months? Even though it was out of season, Hinata could almost visualize the pink cherry blossoms around Sugawara as he spoke. 

Kageyama looked astounded. His mouth moved soundlessly, and then, quietly, he said, "You showed me how to start to change, you made me want to change. How could I outgrow someone who makes me want to be the best I can be?"

Sugawara's face revealed an immense yearning, but was quickly disguised by his brisk, practical voice. "Remember, I'm going to graduate soon. As much as you might and - and and -" a gulp, "- I might - want - "

"You want - ?" Kageyama's eyes widened.

"You didn't know?" A peculiar little laugh broke from Sugawara's lips. "Anyway, this not a good idea." 

"I don't care," Kageyama said, fiercely. "Acting like you're already gone, like there's no chance without saying a word, is stupid. I tried that - being quiet, not talking to you. I was miserable. I missed you and you were standing right there. I want to have a chance to tell you, show you, before you go. I'm not going to lose because I was afraid to try."

 _Don't lose._ Hinata didn't know who he was rooting for. _Don't let him lose._

"It's not wise," Sugawara warned. "No matter what happens, it's going to hurt later - "

"I don't care about being wise. Or about hurting later. I'm hurting, now." Kageyama gripped his shirt over his heart. "I never thought I could, about something like this. It's worse than anything."

"I don't care about it hurting later, either," Sugawara blurted. A heated blush filled his cheeks. The wind picked up, swirling around the two figures.

"Sugawara-san, does that mean - ?" Kageyama's face was alight with a growing hope.

"I mean. I might be a coward. And we don't know what will happen. But I can't deny the way I feel." Sugawara looked at the ground, his turn to toe the earth. He tilted his head up and to the side, glancing at Kageyama. "And I would. If you would still take me. If you still want."

"I want. I want so bad."

"If you don't think you'll regret it."

"The only thing I would regret is not having that chance."

The look on Sugawara's face reminded Hinata that the trees on campus, weeks late, had recovered and regrown the tender flowers, causing what some called the best bloom in a generation. 

Sugawara nodded, the corners of his mouth trembling. "Then please take care of me."

Kageyama jumped up and pumped his arms as he shouted. Sugawara began to grin, wider and wider.

"YES!" Hinata wasn't certain who else it was at his side who also shouted, but he thought it was at least Nishinoya and Tanaka.

Kageyama and Sugawara looked over, matching looks of dawning comprehension on their faces. Kageyama's exploded into a kind of fury, Sugawara covered his mouth, hiding an embarrassed amusement. Kageyama, on the verge of murderous rage, turned to the window, as if he would leap up and punch them all through the glass. Sugawara placed a hand on his elbow and murmured something, too softly for Hinata to catch. The effects, though, were immediate. Kageyama nodded and the angry lines of his mouth and shoulders relaxed.

Hinata, Nishinoya and Tanaka collapsed against the wall. 

"Hooo, thank god Sugawara-san said something," Nishinoya said, exhaling with relief.

"Holy shit," Tanaka laughed. "I thought we were going to die!"

"Kageyama is definitely going to kill us. He's just waiting until Sugawara-san isn't looking," Hinata said.

"Oh, no," said Sawamura, shaking his head. "You're gonna wish it was Kageyama. It's Suga who's going to kill us."

Azumane said, mournfully, "They're really similar, if you think about it. Suga's just got better technique. He smiles when he's destroying you."

* * *

The following week, things proceeded as normal. Well, as normal as a less barky, almost constantly almost-smiling Kageyama could appear to Hinata, anyway.

What surprised Hinata was Sugawara. While Hinata always found Sugawara easy to be around, Sugawara was now radiating a warmth that communicated great pleasure at life in general. It also made him startlingly attractive. The relationship between Kageyama and Sugawara didn't change very much about the team dynamics at all, Hinata thought. The things Sugawara and Kageyama did; walk home from practice together, compare notes about volleyball, even study, didn't seem to make anything different. Well, the studying, okay. Hinata conceded that Kageyama probably wouldn't have studied nearly as much if not for Sugawara.

The captain seemed to think so as well, his alertness sliding as the days passed.

On Friday, Hinata turned up for afternoon practice to find everyone, except for Kageyama, Sugawara, and the managers, gathered in the gym.

Tanaka was saying, "Who knew Kageyama could talk like that? Holy shit. I mean, we saw it a little when he talked to Hinata early on. But. Damn. I'd have gone for him too if he talked to me like that. Like. _Damn._ "

Nishinoya and Azumane could only nod. 

Nishinoya said, "Could you imagine Kiyoko-san talking like that?"

"I'd follow her to the ends of the earth if she called me garbage!" Tanaka replied. "But like the way Kageyama spoke to Suga-san…" he paused, put his hand on his heart, and looked like he might have a stroke.

"Me, too, Tanaka, me too," Nishinoya said.

"Good afternoon," Sugawara called as he entered the gym.

"Sugawara-san!" Hinata sang.

Sugawara smiled. "Good afternoon, Hinata." He clapped his hands. "Let's start warming you guys up." 

"Excuse me, but where's Kageyama?" Nishinoya asked.

"Tobio is running an errand for me," Sugawara replied, airily.

"Tobio?!" asked Hinata, his voice rising incredulously. _Tobio?!_ Of course everybody had a first name. But. Kageyama? Hinata would have thought that only Kageyama's mom, maybe, had permission to call him by his first name.

The only indication that Sugawara was paying any attention to Hinata was a faint, betraying pink across his cheekbones.

"Where's Coach?" asked Tanaka.

"He'll be late." Sugawara smiled even wider. "He told me to start your warmups without him. Let's start drilling. One hundred dives!"

Sawamura started to laugh as he stepped outside of the line. "That's a great drill for them."

Sugawara shot Sawamura a hard look, the genial lines of his face flattening. "You, too, Daichi."

"Suga!"

"Best lead by example, _Captain._ "

A hundred dives later, Hinata definitely felt like he was going to die. But at least, he reflected, Sugawara seemed happy.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on your preferences, I tried to put in:
> 
> \- Kageyama/Sugawara  
> \- Kageyama/Hinata (qp-ish, can't find better way to describe)  
> \- Sawamura/Sugawara (platonic)
> 
> \- SENPAI stuff (they're in same club and then the older graduates)  
> _ everyday things like practice  
> -first declaration  
> -an attempt at shoujo bubble sugar clouds with the potential for crying (being too late, break up because circumstances not emotions))
> 
> I want you to know that I'm so mad at you right now! I have been fully sucked into this pairing and I am so ungrateful!


End file.
